Magnus Carlsen was decisive against Hans Niemann and Alireza Firouzja
A couple of years ago, the young American Hans Niemann caused a surprise by beating Magnus Carlsen with the black pieces in the tournament in Saint Louis, USA. But the incident was magnified when the Norwegian accused his opponent of cheating and then left the tournament in protest. This caused controversy and scandal.
It was learned that, in the past, Niemann had cheated several times playing online, using computers. He was quick to admit it, but claimed that he had never done so in face-to-face games, and that he had already corrected his behavior. Of course, this did not favor him in the general judgment. However, it is difficult to prove that a player receives information through some sophisticated system. These are rather presumptions, and in the absence of evidence of the crime, the opinions of the masters were divided: some pointed out that the game in question did not reveal any aspect that could be pointed out as cheating, and that Niemann was a sufficiently strong player to be able to win a game against Carlsen. Others joined the champion's accusation.
What followed was that Carlsen refused to play Niemann again, while Niemann filed a lawsuit against the Norwegian for damages. Time, the healer of wounds, and the honeyed tournament organizers, managed to get both to agree to face each other in a rapid tournament on the Chess.com platform. It was a semi-final arranged with a series of games at three different rapid paces: 5 minutes + 1 second per move; 3 + 1; and 1 + 1.
It was played like this: each player on his computer screen, but both in the same room, in view of the opponent, and with referees watching. The other semi-final was between two other aces, Hikaru Nakamura, and Alireza Firouzja. Carlsen won, but not by as much as one might expect: 17 ½ to 12 ½. The difference was obtained in the five-minute games (the “slowest”), since in the three-minute and one-minute games, they ended up tied.
In the other semifinal, Firouzja won, which raised interest in the final, since, as we said in a previous note, the Franco-Iranian player has been having good performances, once again insinuating himself as a threat to Carlsen. Before, Nakamura and Niemann faced each other for third place, in a tense duel because Nakamura, at the time, had supported Carlsen in his accusation of Niemann. “Naka” is very strong in ultra-fast rhythms, and he dispatched Niemann by a lapidary 21 to 9.
The grand final was a disappointment. Either because Carlsen felt liberated, once the uncomfortable encounter with Niemann was resolved, or because Alireza Firouzja's nerves failed him again before a bigger match, or because Carlsen is simply far superior; What happened was that the Norwegian crushed his rival by a brutal 23 ½ to 7 ½.
Niemann and Firouzja are both 21 years old, and have room for improvement. But, although the American has improved, he still has work to do to establish himself in the elite, and his bravado does not help him. The Franco-Iranian will have to overcome his nervousness if he ever wants to face Carlsen with any chance of winning. Meanwhile, Nakamura is very successful in streaming, and Carlsen remains immovable at the top.
